Are you looking to engage customers and grow your business through content marketing?

At Reach we’ve helped thousands of businesses connect with their customers through content, so we’re expertly placed to share the little-known shortcuts that will help you reach and inspire more people.

We’ve put together seven top tips that will give your content the edge over your competitors, so keep reading and start planning your content marketing campaign today.

Before we begin, it’s important to remember not to jump in with both feet. This blog will give you the tips you need to get your next campaign off to a great start. It is important you don’t make too many changes to your current marketing activities straight away. Use this as a guide to plan any changes and make sure you keep track of the impact your changes make. Planning and preparation are the keys to success.

01 | Get your tone spot on.

The first thing to consider is your tone of voice, how you would like to speak with your customers. Would you like to sound formal? Or more relaxed and friendly? You know your customers better than anyone so write like you would if you were talking to them in person. Speak normally and don’t force it.

However you choose to set your tone, make sure you are consistent across all of the content you create.

02 | Create compelling headlines.

People consume so much content every day that you have to work hard to grab their attention. A strong headline that makes an immediate impact is a great way to cut through all of the noise, so make yours count.

One popular technique is to link your title with something ‘buzzworthy’, but not just for the sake of it, it has to be relevant to your content. Make sure you don’t promise something in the headline that your content does not deliver.

03 | Never save the best ’til last.

Linking in with point 2, no-one has time to read paragraphs of waffle before they get to the good stuff. Always consider your customers first and ask yourself: “What would they find useful, or valuable?” You already have a great idea of what they want, based on the enquiries you receive or the most popular search terms on your website, so make sure to answer those and keep your content relevant.

Make sure your key points are stacked towards the front of the content. Address these areas first then flesh them out with extra information.

04 | Illustrate your content – for free.

It is important that you always enhance your content with suitable visual elements; pictures can really help to tell your story and support your message. You may be able to lean on an in-house design resource for this purpose, but don’t worry if not: there are a number of online tools that will take the hassle (and expense) out of creating visual content.

For royalty-free images you can use pixabay.com and pexels.com. For online image editing, try canva.com and fotor.com.

05 | Do some keyword research.

You didn’t think you would get through a marketing blog without reading about SEO did you?

Thinking about SEO and making sure your content ranks well on search engines is important for extending your organic reach, helping people find your content without you having to signpost it – and there are some simple things you can do to increase the chances of your content getting found.

A good starting point is to install a free browser plug-in (like Keywords Everywhere or Ubersuggest) and use it to research key words – i.e. the terms people use most frequently to search for your kind of content. You can then make sure these keywords are reflected in your content. 

06 | Write it then video it.

People love watching video online because it’s so easy to consume and share. This is particularly true on social media, where it’s estimated that more than half of users prefer video over other content types. So when you’ve written your content, why not turn it into a simple script? Pull out the key points and outline them in a short, snappy video. You’ll likely find that this approach increases engagement and it won’t take up too much extra time as the content already exists.

07 | Review and repurpose.

We’re always surprised by the number of businesses that plough resources into content creation but then fail to review their results. How are you supposed to plan future content if you don’t know what is and isn’t working? Make sure you review, take action, and evolve your strategy. In addition, be sure to identify your most successful pieces of content and repurpose them going forward. Don’t be afraid to ditch content that generated little response, or consider ways to rejuvenate it.

Finally, if your content marketing strategy isn’t working or you are still unsure where or how to start, don’t be afraid to seek expert help. The content you create reflects on you and your business so it is vital you come across as reliable and professional.

If creating great content is on your to-do list then we can help.

If you need a hand, we have an in-house team of commercial editors who can write a story about your business and post it on the Reach network of news sites. They have created content for thousands of successful campaigns, so you can trust them to share your story. Fill in the form below and one of our marketing consultants will be in touch.